The Deviants possessed no intelligence; their attacks were purely instinctual and completely random.

They moved with an eerie, unpredictable chaos that made them difficult to anticipate.

Their superior strength and heightened senses turned every encounter into a harrowing ordeal.

But it wasn't their strength or unpredictability that made them so hard to defeat.

Noel found himself struggling against them for a very different reason.

"Why aren't you finishing them off already?" David asked, his voice laced with confusion and frustration.

His eyes bore into Noel with an intensity that matched the urgency of the situation.

David had expected the Deviants to slow Noel down for a few minutes at most.

He knew the power Noel possessed, a power that should have been more than enough to dispatch these creatures swiftly.

Yet, to his bewilderment, Noel was having difficulties.

"You? Can it be that you can't kill? But why... Oh, has David used his mark skill on you?" David's voice was incredulous, tinged with dawning realization.

Noel’s silence was telling.

He averted his gaze, the weight of James’ words sinking like lead in the pit of his stomach.

The condition for the activation of the mark was killing.

If Noel took a life, any life, the punishment would befall him.

The mark was a cruel enchantment, a curse that twisted the very essence of his being.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

But there was a loophole—he could injure his opponents as long as they didn't die immediately from his actions.

If they succumbed to their wounds a few minutes later, the mark wouldn't trigger.

It was a fragile balance, a dangerous dance on the edge of mortality.

However, the Deviants were different.

Noel's strikes, aimed to incapacitate rather than kill, were met with rapid regeneration.

Their wounds knitted together almost as quickly as he inflicted them.

And they didn't care about the pain.

They kept coming, relentless and unyielding, driven by primal fury.

"I guess I should finish this quickly," Noel muttered through gritted teeth, his voice a low, determined growl.

The Deviant that had slashed him moved in for another attack, its claws flashing in the dim light.

Noel ducked and sidestepped, feeling the rush of air as the claws narrowly missed him.

He countered with a vicious slash to the creature's side, his knife biting deep, his telekinesis driving the blade even further.

The Deviant howled, a guttural scream that reverberated through the lab, but its eyes remained fixed on Noel, filled with an unquenchable bloodlust.

Noel's heart pounded in his chest, his breaths coming in short, ragged gasps.

He could feel the strain of the mark, the constant pressure not to cross the line into lethal force.

The Deviant shrieked, a horrifying sound that echoed off the sterile, white walls.

Blood sprayed from the wound, but it continued to fight, driven by primal rage.

The second Deviant, now recovered from Noel's earlier attack, joined the fray, its eyes glowing with murderous intent.

Noel's heart pounded in his chest, each beat a reminder of the stakes.

He couldn't afford to make a single mistake.

Teleporting again, he appeared above the wounded Deviant, plunging his knife into its spinal cord with high telekinetic force.

The creature collapsed with a final, pitiful moan, its lifeless body twitching on the floor.

Three left.

He landed lightly, his movements fueled by desperation and determination.

The remaining Deviants hesitated for a moment, their eyes flicking between their fallen companion and Noel.

But the brief pause didn't last. With renewed fury, they attacked together.

One Deviant lunged low, aiming for his legs. Noel jumped, twisting in mid-air to avoid the attack.

As he landed, he used his telekinesis to push the creature back, sending it crashing into the other Deviant.

The floor where he had stood seconds before was gouged by deep claw marks.

David watched, a mix of amusement and frustration playing on his face.

"You're impressive, Noel, but how long can you keep this up?"

The pain in his arm throbbed, a constant reminder of his vulnerability.

He couldn't let it distract him.

With a roar, he channeled his blue aura into his knife and launched himself at the nearest creature.

The blade sliced through flesh and bone, severing its arm.

The creature howled and recoiled, but Noel pressed his advantage, lifting it telekinetically and hurling it into the wall, where it crumpled with a sickening thud.

Two left.

Breathing heavily, he turned to face the last two.

They circled him warily, learning from their fallen comrades.

Their eyes gleamed with malice, their growls low and threatening.

Noel's vision blurred slightly from the blood loss, but he forced himself to stay focused.

One of them lunged, but Noel teleported just in time, reappearing behind it.

He slashed at its legs, bringing it down with a single, precise cut.

The final one of them snarled and charged, but Noel was ready.

With a swift, powerful kick, he knocked it back, then used his telekinesis to pin it to the floor.

With a final, determined stride, Noel approached the pinned Deviant, and drove his knife through its heart.

It convulsed once, then lay still.

The lab fell silent, except for Noel's ragged breathing.

He stood amidst the carnage, covered in blood, his chest heaving.

He turned to David, his eyes blazing with fury.